Before moving into what has become its long-familiar digs along the east side of Hamilton Avenue, Shake It Records first opened in a storefront across the street.

That was 1999, and Shake It’s brother-owner-operators Jim and Darren Blase are marking the anniversary of 20 years in business with a month-long celebration in their record shop.

The Blases deserve to celebrate, having survived the music industry’s digital-format takeover while establishing Shake It as a Northside landmark, a stop for consumers who find pleasure in holding music in their hands rather than storing it in their phones.

The draw is Shake It’s two floors of stock – used vinyl, the lifeblood for any record shop these days, rounded out with new vinyl titles, compact discs, books and other pop-culture products.

But Shake It also offers something in addition to the retail experience, a place for neighborhood folks to linger and chat with staff about all things music and otherwise.

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Jim Blase recalls a memorable example of this. In 2001, the Blases purchased the current location at 4156 Hamilton. Their first day of operation in the new space was Tuesday, September 11. Nobody came in that morning. Then, later in the day, people started gathering, to get away from their TVs and be in the company of others.

“We’re definitely bartender-esque. People either tell us their great news or (bad) news,” says Jim. “Still to this day, we get turned on to music every day that we didn’t know about. A lot of that is our customers, whether they ask if we can order something for them, or they bring us something to listen to. The social aspects of the store are what would keep me around for another 20 years.”

Jim and Darren decided to start Shake It for the same reason most people go into business for themselves: they both hated their jobs, Jim says. The desire to do their own thing outweighed the risks faced by a new venture. “We just wanted to give it a shot,” Jim says.

Trends have worked against them. Online shopping has taken over. So has streaming. But Shake It doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.

Brothers Darren (left) and Jim Blase, owners of Shake It Records in Northside.(Photo: The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy)

“We sell what people don’t have to buy anymore,” says Jim. “What we sell is the satisfaction of owning something. Most of the world seems satisfied with not owning it. They just stream it. We don’t appeal to 95 percent of the population. We appeal to the five percent of the population who care more deeply about music and what it does to their lives and for their lives. We provide a place for people to come to go on their own exploration.

“There’s a mom and a daughter here right now who Darren is talking to,” he adds. “It’s their first time here, and it’s really cute. The mom is trying to turn the daughter on to old stuff, and the daughter is trying to turn the mom on to new stuff. It’s pretty cool. That’s what you sell, the good feeling. You leave with a smile on your face. Even if you didn’t buy anything, you shot the (breeze) with the owners or one of the dudes, and it was one of the better parts of your day, hopefully.”

Events at Shake It Records in March:

March 2: 20-percent-off sale to mark the 20-year anniversary

March 9: Soul Step Records showcase with This Pine Box, Young Heirlooms, Audley and Krystal Peterson